Tracking the Tigers with MLB.com beat writer Jason Beck.

Verlander, Avila on Sporting News AL all-star team

The first end-of-season test for Justin Verlander’s MVP candidacy comes out Friday, when Sporting News names its MLB Player of the Year. On Thursday, though, he received the more obvious honor of the starting pitching spot on the magazine’s AL All-Star team. He was the only unanimous selection on the AL side, according to the article on the Sporting News website.

Voting took place among 289 players, 23 managers and 55 Major League executives, so getting a unanimous selection isn’t easy. Matt Kemp was the only one to get it on the NL side, which means somebody didn’t vote for Clayton Kershaw despite his lofty stats.

Alex Avila also made the AL team at catcher. Somewhat surprisingly, Miguel Cabrera didn’t get the nod at first base, losing out to Red Sox slugger Adrian Gonzalez. Keep in mind, though, that voting took place in September, with most ballots turned in before Cabrera went on his final-week tear and before the Red Sox collapse was complete.

Also surprising, as others have pointed out: Jose Valverde didn’t get the relief pitcher honor. That went to Mariano Rivera. Did the Big Potato’s save celebrations turn off some players around voting time, or did they go with the Hall of Famer?

Also, in less of a shocker but still intriguing, Jhonny Peralta lost out to his former teammate in Cleveland, Asdrubal Cabrera, for shortstop honors.

And Peralta being ignored it is not really a surprise. We, Tigers fans , did the same most of the year.It was all about JV , Avila, Scherzer at the beginning ( he was hailed as the new Number One) and Fister in the end.

It wont make a real difference. The Golden Glove award is voted by managers and coaches. And very bad choices are common. They, like players, dont see every game but the teams the play against. Most of their information on players is like us from the news media ( plus scout reports). And like us , they receive and overdose of Ys and BoSox plus those players that everybody likes or talk about.

Holy cow. A memorable game to be sure. Thought for sure Hamilton’s HR would have been the fateful blow.
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Cards deserved that in an perverse sense so did Ron Washington. He does not have his best starter going tomorow and he should have. You have to be thinking that Holland is all set up for a big game with one of baseball’s best, Carpenter. Now you have a guy going wh has been lit up like a Roman Candle.
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And the ridiculouts positioning of the outfield in the 9th? Why whould you not have your outfielders on the warning trakc in that situation?
/What a game

Shut if off when the game was still tied in the 11th inning. All I kept thinking was how I’d be able to stand it if one of those teams were the Tigers. Completely insane, probably.
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I want Texas to win, but it’s not looking good. Anything can happen in baseball, however.

I don’t think either manager has done a particularly great job. LaRussa was that close last night to having the final out of the WS made by a pitcher hitting. He got bailed out of that mess. Washington reminds me of a more animated Leyland. It’s a good WS with close games and that magnifies the managerial decisions all the more. Last night’s game will be shown on MLB Network for years to come.

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